Villa's Matt Lowton won't be fazed by red-hot atmosphere
Matt Lowton is prepared for anything thrown at him tonight.
Growing up in Sheffield, he is well versed in the Steel City showdowns and cut his Premier League derby teeth against Albion last year.
And having also experienced the ferocity of a Budapest showdown, the right-back will not be fazed tonight.
Lowton was loaned to Ferencvaros in 2009-10 while at Sheffield United as part of their link-up with the Hungarian club.
While there he faced local rivals Ujpest and admitted he has never seen a derby-day like it.
"I think they play that one for the fans to be honest, it's just absolutely mental," said Lowton, who is hoping to regain his starting spot tonight.
"We were kind of police escorted into the ground, like something out of a film, once we got into the ground it was so intense.
"There were flares everywhere, the fans are not really watching the game – they are constantly trying to get to each other and the police are between them.
"I can imagine the team who wins have the bragging rights, it's more for the fans than the football.
"The ground holds about 25,000, really tight. They are quite close, but there are big fences up." While The Hawthorns will not be as fearsome tonight, it does not hold happy memories for Lowton after Villa lost a 2-0 lead to draw 2-2 there last season.
"We played fantastically there in the first half but let it slip in the second half," he said.
"The thing is this year we're learning, when we get ahead, to stay ahead and not push too far forward or give balls away.
"This season the start we've had has been incredible and with the new lads we can go there and give them a game."
And the 24-year-old knows how vital it is to local bragging rights that Villa beat the Baggies for the first time since 2010.
"Last year you definitely felt it was massive to the fans, things on Twitter and people writing things like 'we want to beat these more'," he said.
"Growing up in Sheffield with that derby you can understand how much it means to people down here.
"When we scored last season you could hear a pin drop at their end but our end was going mental. You can see the fans jumping around. You can sense it's massive for the fans."